10 things learned from 2026 NHL Scouting Combine

The 2026 NHL Scouting Combine took place this week at KeyBank Center and LECOM HarborCenter in Buffalo. The combine allowed NHL teams an opportunity to conduct interviews and provide physical and medical assessments of the top prospects eligible for the 2026 Upper Deck NHL Draft on June 26-27. NHL.com provided all the sights and stories.

BUFFALO -- The Toronto Maple Leafs interviewed 65-plus players of the 90 invited to the NHL Scouting Combine this week.

Additionally, Toronto general manager John Chayka visited Penn State left wing Gavin McKenna and his family at his home in Whitehorse, Yukon, prior to the six-day event.

It made sense considering Chayka has a big decision to make having the No. 1 selection in the 2026 Upper Deck NHL Draft after the club won the NHL Draft Lottery on May 5. 

McKenna (5-foot-11, 170 pounds) is the projected No. 1 pick in the draft to be held June 26-27 at KeyBank Center in Buffalo. The first round will be June 26 (7 p.m. ET; ESPN, ESPN+, SN, TVAS) and rounds 2-7 on June 27 (11 a.m. ET; NHLN, ESPN+, SN).

Chayka was hired May 3, along with senior executive adviser, hockey operations Mats Sundin, following the firing of general manager Brad Treliving on March 30.

"It's not every day you get a chance to make the first overall selection and to do in a market like Toronto with obviously the tradition, and the history and the expectation of excellence, makes it really unique," Chayka said. "He's a small-town kid ... It's a remote area of the world, very peaceful, but beautiful. And within that, I think there's some real resolve around who he is and what his career means to him and his family, and I find it impressive."

Here are 10 things learned from the 2026 NHL Scouting Combine:

Prospects headed to Cup Final

McKenna will be one of six top prospects headed west on Sunday to witness Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Final when the Vegas Golden Knights host the Carolina Hurricanes at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on Tuesday (8 p.m. ET; ABC, SN, TVAS, CBC).

McKenna will be joined by defenseman Chase Reid (No. 2 on Central Scouting's final ranking of North American skaters) of Sault Ste. Marie in the Ontario Hockey League, defenseman Carson Carels (No. 3) of Prince George in the Western Hockey League, defenseman Keaton Verhoeff (No. 4) of the University of North Dakota (NCAA), center Caleb Malhotra (No. 6) of Brantford (OHL), and defenseman Alberts Smits of Munchen in Deutsche Eishockey Liga. Smits is No. 2 on NHL Central Scouting's final ranking of International skaters.

"It's going to be my first-ever Stanley Cup game so for it to be in Vegas, it'll be pretty cool experience and to experience with Keaton and those guys will be fun," McKenna said.

Stenberg sits

Ivar Stenberg, No. 1 on NHL Central Scouting's final ranking of International skaters, chose caution over competition at the combine, deciding not to participate in the fitness testing after a demanding season and recent illness.

"Been sick pretty much lately," Stenberg said. "After the IIHF World Championship, I talked to my agents, my off-ice coach, and we decided that this is the best for me ... to not do it."

Stenberg, who did interview with 14 teams, made it clear health comes first.

"It's going to maybe not look too good, but it's dangerous to do it when you're sick," he said.

For Stenberg, the body of work he put together during a long season should still speak loudly. He had 33 points (11 goals, 22 assists) in 43 games, the third-most points by a draft-eligible player in the Swedish Hockey League. The 18-year-old left wing pointed to the part of his game he believes will translate best to the NHL.

"My hockey IQ for sure," he said. "That's one thing that's pretty good, something that would help me."

New tests added

Two new tests were added to the combine this year, giving teams better insight into a player’s lower-body strength and explosiveness.

The most notable addition was the isokinetic squat test, designed to safely measure lower-body strength, an area scouts had long wanted to evaluate. Instead of using a traditional squat rack and heavy weights, players performed squats connected to a motorized resistance system that matched their body weight. The machine controls speed while increasing resistance based on how hard the athlete pushes.

“Lower-body strength is pretty darn important for skating and for the ability to battle in corners,” said Matt Price, president of the Professional Hockey Performance Organization, a professional association of strength and conditioning coaches, and a former director of sports science for the Los Angeles Kings. “The harder you push, the higher the force output.”

Owen Sound forward Pierce Mbuyi posted the top result among 82 prospects, recording a strength output equal to 3.62 times his body weight.

The second new event was the 10-meter sprint, which focuses on acceleration rather than top speed. Players ran while attached to a tracking device that measured stride-by-stride data, providing teams with detailed information on first-step quickness.

“It’s an acceleration quality,” Price said, noting the test offers more precise evaluation data.

Both additions were well received by players and NHL teams. Central Scouting director Dan Marr praised the squat test in particular, calling it “a very safe test” that helps determine a player’s current strength level and areas for future development.

In 'Command'

Alexander Command’s passion for hockey began at home in Stockholm, Sweden, sitting at the kitchen table with his father and watching NHL highlights before school.

"We had 'NHL On The Fly' on every morning," Command said. "For 45 minutes before going to school, we'd watch game summaries and highlights while eating breakfast."

Those daily routines, which started when he was around 8 or 9 years old and lasted into his early teens, became a foundation for his development and left lasting memories.

"Those are good memories," he said.

Now 17, Command has turned that early fascination into real promise. Ranked No. 11 among International skaters by NHL Central Scouting, the 6-foot-1, 183-pound center played for Orebro Jr. in Sweden’s Under-20 Nationell league this past season. He recorded 44 points (17 goals, 27 assists) in 30 games and also earned six appearances with Orebro’s men’s team in the Swedish Hockey League. He’s expected to join that club full-time in 2026-27.

His parents introduced him to skating almost as soon as he could walk.

"In Sweden, it's pretty common to know how to skate," Command said. "My parents took me to a rink about 150 meters from our home every weekend, and I just kept going."

Better than advertised

Adam Valentini, No. 86 on NHL Central Scouting's final ranking of North American skaters, believes his value is even higher and wants to prove it.

"I believe I'm a first-rounder, but I know anything can happen," Valentini said "Whichever team hopefully drafts me, I'm going to show them that they won't regret it."

The freshman center (5-9, 190), who had 12 interviews at the combine, had 27 points (11 goals, 16 assists) in 40 games with the University of Michigan this season. He had five points (three goals, two assists) in five games for sixth-place Canada at the 2026 IIHF Under-18 World Championship, playing every situation, including penalty kill.

"I really feel like my strength and my speed are areas I'm currently building on, and I think since I got to Michigan, I've been working on that against older players," Valentini said. "I want to be stronger and a lot faster and I feel like those areas have improved since the start of the season."

High rollers

The combine marked a roller-hockey reunion of sorts for London Knights right wing Jaxon Cover and North Bay Battalion center Ryder Cali.

Cover was raised in the Cayman Islands, where he honed his hockey skills in inline roller hockey until the family moved to Canada when he turned 12. Cali joined Cover on the inline circuit for two years in the Caymans before his family moved to Canada.

"When I was 3 years old, my dad got a new job in the Cayman Islands and we moved there," Cali said. "I played roller hockey with Jaxon when he was 5 years old. It's a super small world and crazy to see him here now, but when I was 7, we moved to Canada.

"Jaxon was always the best by far. He always played two or three age groups up and was the best player. I hadn't seen him for seven years, so to see him here now …. We've hung out the entire time this week. We're not roommates but might as well be. It's been really cool and we want to make our Caymanian family and friends proud." 

Cali (6-1, 219), who had 29 club interviews this week and will attend Providence College in 2026-27, is No. 25 on NHL Central Scouting's final ranking of North American skaters. He had 36 points and tied for eighth among all OHL rookies in goals (16). The 17-year-old was born in Switzerland.

Father and son

Malhotra (6-2, 182) spoke this week about the possibility of playing for his father, Manny Malhotra, who was hired as coach of the Vancouver Canucks on June 1. 

The Canucks, who have the No. 3 pick in the NHL Draft, might have an opportunity to choose the left-shot center from Brantford in the Ontario Hockey League. There have been eight instances in NHL history where a father has coached his son in an NHL game with the same team; most recently was this season when Carolina Hurricanes coach Rod Brind'Amour worked with his son, Skyler, for four games. 

"I don't want to go too far down that road," Manny said on Thursday. "If it happens, I would treat him just as any other player and I know people would say, 'Well, you can't because it's your son,' and I do understand the challenges there. 

"When Caleb brings up hockey to me, he always wants to talk to coach. I've seen his growth over the last couple years, and what they've done in Brantford, and the evolution of his game. I think he would have the wherewithal and the ability to separate the two at the next level."

Shark bites

The San Jose Sharks continued their draft lottery success by winning the second drawing and the No. 2 pick on May 5 despite only a 5.5 percent chance. It marks their third straight year with a top-two pick, following Macklin Celebrini (No. 1 in 2024) and Michael Misa (No. 2 in 2025). Armed with eight total picks, the Sharks are once again in a strong position to add key pieces to their rebuilding roster.

Director of amateur scouting Chris Morehouse emphasized the importance of evaluating both talent and character, saying, "Every draft has lots of different storylines and this one is no different. Sifting through the information like always is so important."

This year's draft is considered deep in defensemen, each offering distinct attributes. Morehouse noted, "All the defensemen at the top of the draft bring something different; different styles, different personalities, different hockey backgrounds."

He stressed that drafting goes beyond skill: "We are investing in human beings at the end of the day. Building a group of driven, team-oriented players can lead to long-term success."

First for Chase

Reid (6-2, 195) enjoyed being the first player to complete the array of fitness tests at the 2026 NHL Scouting Combine on Saturday.

“I feel like it was pretty cool to set the bar for everyone,” he said. “Definitely wish I could have done a little better in some of the things, but, yeah, overall, I was really happy with today.”

The Wingate cycle ergometer bike to measure the explosiveness of a skater is typically considered one of the toughest tests. Combine fitness staff loudly encourage prospects as they pedal hard with resistance.

“In the moment it's not too bad, if I'm being honest,” he said of the verbal push. “It's not bad for the 30 seconds you're on the bike. It's right when you get off and your heart rate falls right down and you get the nauseous feeling, and then one thing leads to the next.”

The 18-year-old didn’t go into the testing blindly. He got insight from Brady Martin, his teammate and captain with Sault Ste. Marie of the Ontario Hockey League. Martin, a forward, was the No. 5 pick by the Nashville Predators in the 2025 NHL Draft.

"He just said go out there and have fun," Reid said. "You only get to do it once. It's a once in a lifetime opportunity. … Just embrace the moment and just enjoy it."

College course

Verhoeff, who had 18 club interviews at the combine, was one of eight NCAA men's hockey players invited to the event.

The list is only going to get longer too based on numbers College Hockey, Inc., released on Friday. 

Since May 1, there were 73 college commitments made, 44 of which were directly from the Canadian Hockey League (60.3 percent). Since Jan. 1, there have been 272 total commitments, 132 of which are directly from the CHL (48.5 percent).

Verhoeff (6-3, 208) was asked if he had any advice for CHL players planning to enter college in 2026-27. The 17-year-old, who played for Victoria (WHL) last season, is fresh off a successful first season at North Dakota with 20 points (six goals, 14 assists) in 36 games in 2025-26.

"I think just kind of recognizing that every single guy's journey and path is going to be a little bit different from the other," Verhoeff said. "So, take a second and reflect on what exactly you want out of it and what you kind of need to develop in both your game and as a person is important."

NHL.com deputy managing editor Adam Kimelman and independent correspondent Heather Engel contributed to this report